Just Like A Breeze
by girl.of.horror
Summary: she comes and goes when she wants...just like a breeze  June 17


If you read my fic 'knowing', then it has somehow, a small connection with it. Somewhere on the lines before (spoilers-but not quite) Rukia left him. By the way, in 'knowing', Ichigo is 26…he's yet to turn sixteen in this story…

If you do not read it, it's okay! So don't worry!

Thought of this while I was on my bed again…I could actually now call it my…'thinking bed'!

Lolz. Just read. And enjoy. Kind of long. But still, Enjoy! I enjoyed making this!

**Disclaimer:** Tite Kubo owns the entire bleach universe. I'm just using his characters for my own enjoyment and, hopefully, your enjoyment too.

**6/17**

The smell of cigarette smoke felt strangely comforting. It was hard to believe that in the course of a year, he had almost died more times than he dared to count. He wasn't even sure if he was still alive, considering that his chain of fate had been cut off for him to recover his own shinigami powers.

He shook his head, feeling foolish for thinking of those memories in front of her grave. All he should show on his face right now should be happiness. That he was still alive, and it was because of her, he was grateful. If she didn't give her life for him, he would have died and missed a lot of things.

"Seems like", Isshin paused, exhaling the smoke, "this would be the only day it wouldn't rain everytime we visit your mother."

Ichigo didn't even bother looking up.

"Seems like it."

"I wonder why."

Silence reigned as a breeze flew softly by, causing the leaves to dance and whisper softly to each other.

"You know, your mother and Rukia, they're like that breeze."

His head shot up to look at his father. Eyes wide. Isshin saw it and asked innocently, "Why are you blushing?"

"Blushing? Me? Shut up, old man, I'm almost 16 for God's sake!"

"So what? You can still blush when you become 16. I could still blush. And its not as if you have nothing going on with Rukia-chan."

Ichigo felt his face warm even more and showed it through shoving the cigarette down his father's throat, at least he tried to.

Ichigo cleared his own throat and continued to look annoyed.

He heard his father sigh.

"Just like a breeze, aren't they? Your mother and Rukia."

"Why do you say that?"

"Why? Think about it. A breeze comes and goes whenever it wants to. You could wish for it, and yet you could not hold unto it when it does come. When it goes, it goes. If by chance or when it wants to, they go back to you."

He continued to stare at his mother's gravestone as Isshin took the time to step on his now useless cigarette butt.

"Just like a breeze, they arrive when you need them most to cheer you up, make your life better. Make you happier. Teach you once again how to enjoy life. When they come, it's because they like to stop the rain from falling."

He paused to stare at his son.

"And of course, just like a breeze, there will come a time when they won't come back to you."

Ichigo stared at Isshin.

"Dad…"

Isshin patted his back so hard he coughed.

"I hate this, damn you!"

Still nursing his aching throat, he looked at his dad as Isshin turned on his heels, shouting over his shoulder,

"Remember what I told you last year here Ichigo! If not for yourself, then for her!"

* * *

Like a breeze…

Those words kept repeating itself over and over again in his head

…_.there will come a time when they won't come back to you…_

His mother had done that.

Like a breeze indeed. He looked up at the sky, squinting his eyes against the rays of the sun. A bird flew overhead and he followed it with his eyes until it was gone from his sight, swallowed by the trees.

Somewhere, he could hear his sisters bickering over something. Even without their mother, they had lived their lives quite well.

He stopped walking and looked up fro the ground. He remembered this place. The steps that met each other. Last year, he and Rukia have run those steps to help each other; he didn't know he was going to be fighting against grand fisher back then.

Those memories of his first and only battle, he thinks, that he fought for himself. Battles that followed it were for other people, for Orihime, for the soul society, for his family, and mostly, for Rukia, now when you think about it.

A familiar reaitsu made itself known. And he only need to speak her name.

"Rukia?"

She stepped from behind those trees. Looking as unchanged as the ever changing sky. This time she was not wearing her uniform, or any of her dress. She wore a kimono, a white one.

"Ichigo." She smiled at him. That smile that always made him want to smile back.(1)

"What are you doing here?"

"Do you need to ask that?"

…_they arrive when you need them most to cheer you up…_

"I haven't forgotten that this was the day your mother died. I thought I'll just visit you all, for today. "

"For today?"

"Nii-sama doesn't know I went here. That's why I'm still wearing this. I could extend my stay for another day or so, I guess."

_..yet you could not hold unto it when it does come.._

"I'm not asking you."

"I'm not asking you to ask me, either."

They walked to his mother's grave; he was merely tracing back where he had just come from.

* * *

"The first time I've been here, I haven't been able to offer her prayers properly."

He was a step back from her, her head was bowed, and her kimono was immaculately white.

"Maybe that's why I'm here. To offer her my respects."

"Yuzu's making lunch." He announced quite suddenly.

"Hm? I don't know. Maybe I'll go directly to Urahara's right now." She stood up.

He watched her as she flattened out a non-existent crease on her kimono. And as she was about to turn to face him, he stood beside her and placed his hands inside his pockets.

"Momma, this is Rukia Kuchiki. Rukia, this my mom, Masaki Kurosaki."

Rukia looked up questioningly at him.

"What? I thought you wanted to pay respect to her."

"Well, if that's the case, then," she turned to face the gravestone again and bowed real low, "You have a fine son in Ichigo, Mrs. Kurosaki."

* * *

…_A breeze comes and goes whenever it wants to_…

He just sat there, listening to her talking about the Gotei 13, Renji, Byakuya and his annoyance with the new servants, and Chappy.

She ate with them, and while with her sisters, she told them her 'experiences' now that she was living with a distant relative after her grandmother's death. She could be a writer with all those stories that had Yuzu excited. And Isshin, when he saw Rukia, practically almost wailed for the return of her 'third daughter'.

"By the way, Rukia, are you staying with us for tonight?", Yuzu asked her.

"Do you really want me to?"

"Of course! We miss having an older sister and, until now, your bed hasn't even been moved from the room, in case you visit and decide to sleep the night over. But your clothes has been moved to the Ichigo's closet,"

Silence. Then,

"All?"

Yuzu understood then, a blush creeping up her cheeks, even Karin was blushing, and god forbid, so was he.

His father was the only one who seemed unperturbed and ready to go teasing him again.

* * *

He looked up at the sky. There were no gathering clouds. His father was right. This seemed to be the only time that rain hadn't fallen on this day.

The sun, dipping low in the horizon, seemed to burst with a thousand colors as it made its way for the night.

He sighed, and smiled. It did not rain today.

…_it's because they like to stop the rain from falling…_

* * *

You'll be the judge.

Is it true? are they ooc or in character? is the story true?

Review please. They are very much appreciated.

So…do you think that's true?


End file.
